On the Move Blog Department of Transportation

On The Move

Advisories from the Seattle Department of Transportation

Multi-Modal Improvements Coming to Green Lake & Wallingford!

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The Green Lake and Wallingford Paving & Multi-Modal Improvements project has been out talking to the community about changes coming to Green Lake and Wallingford. Design is nearly complete, and we’ve made changes based on the design feedback we heard from the community earlier this year.

Map of Green Lake and Wallingford paving area; new/upgraded bike facilities and connections with existing bike facilities; and on-street parking removal.

 

What we heard

In July, more than 670 people joined us at drop-in sessions and many visited our online open house, to learn about streetscape improvements and give feedback.

In review of design and construction planning, we heard support for our general safety and mobility goals, and some suggestions for changes. We’ve summarized everything we heard and our response to the feedback; for details, read our Feedback and Action Plan: What We Heard and What We’re Doing document!

 

Some changes based on your feedback.

Improving safety for people walking on N 40th St | We’re adding rapid flashing beacons and repairing some stretches of sidewalk on 40th.

Reviewing east-west bike connections in Wallingford | We’re taking a step back to reconsider the design for bike improvements on N 40th St. In the coming months, we’ll evaluate other potential improvements to east-west bike connections in Wallingford.

Evaluating options for people walking and biking through the N 50th St, Stone Way N, and E Green Lake Way N intersection | We’re looking at ways to make improvements at this intersection by clearly marking crossings and improving visibility and sightlines.

Partnering with Seattle Parks and Recreation to explore an alternative to the planned bike improvements on Green Lake Way N | Our original design included a new signal on Green Lake Way N at N 52nd St. We’re now partnering with Seattle Parks and Recreation to explore transforming a portion of the planting strip bordering the Lower Woodland Parks Playfield parking lot into a 1-way protected bike lane.

Making the NE Ravenna Blvd, NE 71st St and E Green Lake Way N intersection more predictable | We’re squaring up this intersection as much as possible by adding curb bulbs and widening the west side sidewalk. We’re also adding a rapid flashing beacon one block south of the intersection.

Improving safety and visibility at intersections | We’re adding “no parking” signs 20 feet from all intersections in the project area; on the north side of N 80th St on either side of the Ashworth Ave N intersection, we’ll add paint and post curb bulbs to improve visibility.

Reducing speed limits to improve traffic safety for all | We’ll post a 25 MPH speed limit around the east side of Green Lake, which is a reduction from the current 30 MPH speed limit.

 Visit the project web site for details!

 

What’s next.

We’ll continue to engage you this fall and next year as we prepare for construction. This includes opportunities for public comment in early 2019 regarding bike improvements on N 40th St.

 

We anticipate completing the design by the end of 2018, beginning construction in late spring of 2019, and completing the project in 2020. For more information, please visit our project webpage.

 

Nickerson/15th closures for paving | Oct. 5-22

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The Nickerson Paving Project is beginning 17 consecutive days of work, making improvements between 15th Ave W and 14th Ave W. To strengthen the road base and repave this principal arterial and major truck route/transit street, the interchange at W Nickerson St and 15th Ave W must be closed October 5 – 22.

Closed movements during W Nickerson St and 15th Ave W interchange work.

 

To help clarify alternative routes during this time, we’ve made the following maps. Also, see below for updated work hours. Note, the work is weather dependent, so timing may change. If you have questions, please contact us at NickersonPaving@Seattle.gov or 206-256-5252.

 

What you can expect:

W Nickerson St/15th Ave W interchange closed for repair and repaving.

 

Updated hours |

  • Closed 24/7: Friday, October 5 at 9 AM through Monday, October 22, at 5 AM
  • Expect construction noise/dust during work hours:
    • Friday, Oct. 5 | 9 AM – 10 PM
    • Saturdays & Sundays | 7 AM – 9 PM
    • Weekdays after Oct. 5 | 7 AM – 10 PM

 

Closed movements* |

A.  NB 15th Ave W to EB W Nickerson St (Movement A open Monday – Thursday)
B.  WB W Nickerson St to W Emerson Pl Overpass
C.  EB W Emerson Pl to NB 15th Ave W (Movement C open Monday – Thursday)
D.  WB W Nickerson St to NB 15th Ave W
E.  EB W Emerson Pl to EB W Nickerson St (weekends only) (Movement E open Monday – Thursday)

 

Detours | 

  • Bus Routes 29 & 31 – Rerouted from W Nickerson St to 14th Ave W; and W Dravus St, intermittently. Please check with King County Metro for more information regarding altered bus routes. Street parking on 14th Ave W around work area suspended during the October 5 – 22 closure. 

 

  • *Drivers – A – E closed movements detour maps below (click maps for larger version); detour text descriptions on the project website.

 

A. NB 15th Ave W to EB W Nickerson St closure detours:

 

B. WB W Nickerson St to W Emerson Pl Overpass closure detour:

 

C. EB W Emerson Pl to NB 15th Ave W closure detour:

 

D. WB W Nickerson St to NB 15th Ave W closure detour:

 

E. EB W Emerson Pl to EB W Nickerson St closure (weekends only) detours:

Thank you for your patience during this paving and pedestrian improvement work!

 

Questions? Contact us!

Contact us directly at NickersonPaving@seattle.gov or (206) 256-5252 (voicemail line). Visit our website to learn more about the project.

 

Magnolia Maintenance Continues | Starting Sept. 24

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Image by Google Maps | www.google.com/maps

 

Roadway Structures crews are continuing work to maintain Magnolia Bridge, this time working in the eastbound lanes. In late August and Mid-September, the team repaired several expansion joints in the westbound travel lanes.

 

Magnolia Bridge expansion joint.

Expansion joints absorb vibration and allow structures the mobility to expand/contract/move with temperature changes, as well as ground movement.

 

What to expect:

September 24-26 & 28 |

9 AM – 2:30 PM daily

Closure | The EB lane will be shifted to one of the WB lanes during this work.

 

Contact us!

If you have questions about this work, email us at construction.coordination@seattle.gov or call 206-684-ROAD (7623). Information subject to change.

 

Thank you for your patience during this maintenance work.

__________________________

 

Resources:

SDOT’s Traveler’s Map

Know before you go. Use the map controls to see real-time traffic, travel times, camera footage, if a bridge is up or down, and if a railroad crossing is open or closed – select by neighborhood if you choose.

 

Follow us!

Follow us for breaking news, real-time traffic, project updates, events, surveys, policy, advisories, blogs, & more.

 

Alert Seattle

Sign up for ALERT SEATTLE, WSDOT, and Metro Alerts. AlertSeattle is the official emergency notification system used by the City of Seattle to communicate with city residents during emergencies. Sign up now to receive free alerts from the City via text message, email, voice message or social media.

 

King County’s Get Ready website

There’s no way around it—getting around Seattle is going to be tricky during the SR 99 closure. Expect traffic delays and be prepared for full buses during peak travel times. Check out the travel options below that can help you get around in anticipation of the new SR 99 tunnel opening.

 

Commute Seattle’s Employer Resources

For over 10 years, Commute Seattle has helped Seattle businesses of all sizes unlock their potential and empower employees to utilize convenient, affordable, and sustainable transportation options.

 

Sept. 21 | Seattle PARK(ing) Day – JOIN US!

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Did you know that there are over 485 parks in Seattle… and for one day only on September 21, we are adding 62 more!

 

Globally – Locally.

Friday, September 21 is PARK(ing) Day, a one-day international event that began in 2005. On-street parking spaces are temporarily transformed into pop-up parks, a global idea providing opportunities to showcase locally!

 

Our PARK(ing) Day is part of the Seattle Design Festival, two weeks of citywide activities, tours, presentations, workshops and exhibits exploring the role of design in our city.

 

Creative, compelling, unusual fun!

PARK(ing) Day pop-up parks feature a variety of activities, including games, crafts, photo booths, and treats! We’ve seen everything from art installations to live music, and from an urban jungle to a swimming pool (no water involved). 😊

 

Participate!

Pop-up parks offer a place to relax and enjoy our public spaces, just like our permanent parks around Seattle. By participating in PARK(ing) Day, you have the chance to connect with community members, express yourself creatively, and most importantly, enjoy yourself!

 

Find a Pop-Up Park.

Click to access interactive map.

Wondering where you can find a pop-up park on September 21? Check out our interactive map to find a pop-up park near you.

 

Along with the parks hosted all over the city, we’ve created neighborhood clusters of pop-up parks in seven neighborhoods in Seattle. Clusters allow you to visit multiple parks at a time and enjoy everything the neighborhood has to offer. This year, clusters are located in:

• Beacon Hill
• Capitol Hill
• Delridge
• University District
• Lake City
• Rainier Beach
• Pioneer Square

 

Parks will be popping up all over the city from 9 AM – 7 PM; refer to the interactive map for hours, and then RSVP to the event on Facebook and share with your friends!

 

Pop-ups with the most votes… 

When you check out pop-up parks on PARK(ing) Day, be sure to note which ones you like best and why… because on event day, you’ll be able to vote (online survey) for your favorites in each of three categories:

 

  1. Most creative use of space,
  2. Most connected to community, and
  3. Most interactive programming.

 

 

 

If you want to help celebrate the PARK(ing) Day award winners, swing by the celebratory after-party, hosted at the Center for Architecture and Design from 7 – 9 PM. We can’t wait to see who wins and honor ingenuity!

If you’d like to participate in PARK(ing) Day next year, be sure to keep an eye on our PARK(ing) Day program page. If you have any questions, please contact Kadie Bell Sata at kadie.bell@seattle.gov or at 206-386-4575.

 

 

Magnolia Bridge 9/10 – 9/13 | expansion joint repairs

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Next week, Roadway Structures crews will repair more Magnolia Bridge expansion joints. This time they’ll work in three places on the western side of the bridge, near Smith Cove Park.

Image by Google Maps | www.google.com/maps

What to expect:

September 10 – 13 | 8:30 AM – 2:30 PM daily

Closure | Far right WB lane closed during working hours; traffic merged to remaining WB lane.

 

This M – Th work is a continuation of repairs begun 2 weeks ago.

Expansion joint repair today | Magnolia Bridge

Contact us!

If you have questions about this work, email us at construction.coordination@seattle.gov or call 206-684-ROAD (7623). Information subject to change.

 

Thank you for your patience during this maintenance work.

 

Preserving Waves under Viaduct | Saturday relocation

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Image by Seattle P-I photographer Meryl Schenker | bit.ly/2PHUKzk

Waves of art installed 16 years ago under the Alaskan Way Viaduct, are washing away…to storage. On August 30 of 2002, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer ran the story, ‘Wave Rave Cave’ is artwork by day, club-scape by night, with a photo of carpenter Michael Graham working on the installation.

 

With the near future Alaskan Way Viaduct (AWV) closure and demolition, the sculptures, at the corner of Western Ave and Bell St, are relocating for safe keeping.

 

Wave goodbye Friday night, September 7, for the last expected light-up of this tide…

Wave Rave Cave by Dan Corson | Photo courtesy of Seattle Office of Arts & Culture.

Wave Rave Cave by Dan Corson | Photo courtesy of Seattle Office of Arts & Culture

 

 

Travel to new temporary home. 

Wave sculptures storage destination | Image by Google Maps

The Seattle Office of Arts & Culture notes, a new site for the artwork has yet to be determined–so it’s safe storage for now.

What you can expect:

To preserve the waves creation, crews will carefully remove the pieces, then drive them to the City’s Nickerson Place North storage area, near the Fremont Cut. Look for traffic control (TC) signs and a flagger along W Nickerson St, near 13th Ave W, and intermittent traffic slowdowns with deliveries.

 

For the relocation, the Bridges and Roadway Structures team needs room to maneuver a forklift to a loading truck and trailer, impacting sidewalks at both pick-up and delivery and the bike lane along Western. Be ready to make way for art, as it heads north in several waves (pun intended)!

 

Saturday, September 8 | 7 AM – 3 PM

Closures | 

  • Bike lane on Western Ave, at Bell St: intermittent; hour-long.
  • East Sidewalk on Western Ave, under AWV SB: intermittent; hour-long.
    – Signs will direct people to a marked crosswalk on Western Ave.
    – A side walk spotter will guide passersby to a safe distance from the work.
  • No parking on Western Ave, between Battery and Bell streets.
  • No parking on Bell St, at Western Ave (Fri PM – Mon AM)

 

Thank you for your patience as this artwork tide comes in! 

Route 8 gets some help today…

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Denny Way EB this morning, Fairview to Stewart | New center transit lane.

Denny Way EB transit lane is in!

Finishing 1 day early, EB Denny Way from Fairview to Stewart now has a new center transit lane, complete with red pavement markings and signage. The project was expected to require finishing work and rolling lane closures today, but crews wrapped up early.

Diagram of new Denny Way configuration, Fairview Ave to Stewart St.

 

The project supports a larger effort to address the historically late King County Metro Route 8, which serves an estimated 10,000 riders per weekday. Afternoon commutes headed EB on Route 8 have been exceptionally congested. The added EB transit lane revamps a key bottleneck, reappropriating a lesser used WB lane for better Route 8 reliability at this location, and on sections of Route 8 in Lower Queen Anne, South Lake Union, and Capitol Hill.

 

Besides enhanced Route 8 reliability, the change is also expected to benefit riders by:

  • Keeping more buses running on time, which in turn…
  • Reducing bus-bunching (jamming up at a bus stop);
  • Reducing wait times at important transfer locations (e.g. Capitol Hill Link); and
  • Making transit a more attractive travel option for crosstown travel in some of Seattle’s densest neighborhoods.

 

#Make8LessL8!

The new bus lane is one piece of a set of improvements intended to enhance Route 8 speed and reliability. Although the changes are not expected to completely solve the reliability problems currently experienced on Route 8, together they should offer noticeable improvement.

 

Check it out yourself this afternoon!

 

Making The 8 Less L8! | Today – 8/28

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One of the busiest stretches of Denny Way, eastbound from Fairview Ave E to Stewart St, is about to get a new transit-only lane—dedicated to moving many people efficiently. The project is part of a larger effort to address the historically late King County Metro Route 8, which serves an estimated 10,000 riders per weekday.

Diagram of new Denny Way configuration, Fairview Ave to Stewart St.

 

Work starts this afternoon, August 24, to transform one underutilized westbound lane of Denny Way for eastbound general-purpose traffic to Capitol Hill and dedicating the middle eastbound lane of the resulting three, to mass transit around the biggest single bottleneck that Route 8 experiences. The area is already bordered by construction projects, so crews can sometimes use the existing lane closures.

 

Route 8 currently runs 6 buses an hour per direction in peak periods. Separating the lane of cars turning right onto Yale to get to I-5 is expected to reduce lane merging friction and reduce congestion headed east on Denny Way to Capitol Hill.

 

Route 8 WB on Denny Way, at Aurora | Image by Cait Sith Productions, Caitsith810 – YouTube

 

Comprehensive and coordinated planning over the last four years has focused on better reliability for this key route in this location, and on sections of Route 8 in Lower Queen Anne, South Lake Union, and Capitol Hill. Besides enhanced Route 8 reliability, the change is also expected to benefit riders by:

  • Keeping more buses running on time, which in turn…
  • Reducing bus-bunching (jamming up at a bus stop);
  • Reducing wait times at important transfer locations (e.g. Capitol Hill Link); and
  • Making transit a more attractive travel option for crosstown travel in some of Seattle’s densest neighborhoods.

 

Capacity for mobility is critical, as Seattle growth continues, from 608,660 people in 2010 to more than nearly 730,000 in 2018 (click chart image for more details).

Seattle population growth chart | https://bit.ly/2MwIxAj

 

Much of the employment growth in downtown Seattle since the recession has been in South Lake Union, and Route 8 is a crucial connection for residents to access jobs, cultural destinations, and housing in central Seattle.

 

Crush loads…

The seated capacity of Metro’s 60-ft articulated coaches is 56 passengers, with a so-called ‘crush load’ equating to about 90- riders. As Route 8 riders likely know, crush loads are frequent during afternoon peak periods on this section of Denny, as are long wait times. Speeding up bus travel also provides operational savings to Metro and City-funded bus service.

 

#Make8LessL8!

The new bus lane is one piece of a set of improvements intended to enhance Route 8 speed and reliability. Although the changes are not expected to completely solve the reliability problems currently experienced on Route 8, together they should offer noticeable improvement.

Denny Substation Project, Aug 23, 2018 | Image by Seattle City Light | seattle.gov/light/dennysub | John St on left; Denny Way on right.

 

Originally expected to be installed last year, we accommodated Denny Substation construction needs and are now implementing the design. The reconfiguration project is expected to finish Tuesday, August 28.

 

What you can expect:

This afternoon crews begin placing and bagging (until project completion) new signage between Fairview and Stewart.

Beginning at 7 AM Saturday, August 25, the team will hydro-blast (weather & equipment dependent) the street surface to remove existing street configuration markings; and then paint the new lines.

The moving operation will create additional, temporary lane closures through Saturday afternoon. Work is scheduled again Monday and Tuesday, 9 AM – 3 PM, to complete the project.

 

August 24, Friday | Noon – 3 PM | Closures
Crews need 1 – 2 rolling lane closures, and at times may be able to use those already in place for construction on both sides of Denny Way.

 

August 25, Saturday | 7 AM – 3 PM | Closures
As crews progress with mobile operations, there will be 1 – 2 rolling lane closures.

 

Monday August 27 and Tuesday, August 28 | 9 AM – 3 PM | Closures
Expect rolling lane closures during work hours, to finish project.

 

Thank you for your patience during this mobile operation!

 

Contact us!

Email us at construction.coordination@seattle.gov or call 206-684-ROAD (7623). Information subject to change. 

Expansion joint repair today | Magnolia Bridge

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Click image for a larger version.

Bridge expansion joint example.

Roadway Structures crews are working on the Magnolia Bridge today, repairing one of its many expansion joints. Expansion joints absorb vibration and allow structures the mobility to expand/contract/move with temperature changes, as well as ground movement.

 

What you can expect:

Thursday, August 23, 2018 | 9 AM – 3 PM

Closure | One WB lane closed during working hours.

 

Contact us!

If you have questions about this work, email us at construction.coordination@seattle.gov or call 206-684-ROAD (7623). Information subject to change.

 

Thank you for your understanding!

 

UPDATE: Burke-Gilman & Ship Canal Trails Repairs

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BGT bike riding family | TIA International Photography

There’s a new schedule for spot repairs to area trails. Work on the Burke-Gilman Trail will now take place after Labor Day. Repairs to the Ship Canal Trail will be completed August 28 – 30.

We are planning to do some spot repairs on the Burke Gilman and Ship Canal Trails starting on Tuesday, August 21st. Click on the maps below for larger versions, showing work areas. Here’s to smooth connections!

 

Burke-Gilman: after Labor Day 8/21 & 8/24-26

Image by Google Maps | google.com/maps | click for larger view

What you can expect:

week of 9/4 | Stay tuned for details!

8/21 | BGT spot 5 location (see map above) closed 9 AM-3 PM; people biking detoured to N 34th St.

8/24-26 | BGT area 6 closed, 7 AM up to 7 PM each day, Stone Way N to Phinney Ave N; signed detour to N 34th St.

8/25 | BGT spots 1 & 2 closed at site from 9 AM-3 PM, detour to parallel neighborhood streets from NW 36th St to NW 40th St.

 

Ship Canal Trail: 8/28 22 – 8/30 24

Image by Google Maps | google.com/maps | click for larger view

What you can expect:

8/28 22 | SCT spots 1 – 5 locations (see map above) closed 9 AM-3 PM; detour to Nickerson from 3rd Ave N to 3rd Ave W.

8/29 23 | SCT spots 1 – 5 locations closed 9 AM-3 PM; detour to Nickerson from 3rd Ave N to 3rd Ave W.

8/30 24 | SCT spot 6 on W Emerson Pl: trail closed at site 9 AM-3 PM; detour to N side of W Emerson Pl, 21st – 19th avenues W.

 

Contact us!

If you have questions about this work, email us at construction.coordination@seattle.gov or call 206-684-ROAD (7623). Information subject to change. 

 

Thank you for your understanding while we work to maintain Seattle’s trail system!